


End of Days

by AlexUzuka



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: 5.3 Msq Spoliers, Azem’s first act during the starshower, First bringer of light, Gen, Hydaelyn and Zodiark beginning, Shadowbringers spoiler, The First world sundered, Will add more if needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26669128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexUzuka/pseuds/AlexUzuka
Summary: The star shower is upon the world, raining down fire as the world crumbles at the might  of the new god, Zodiark. One stands alone watching as the flames burn below, scheming a plan to make amends to their broken world, leaving but a single prayer;“For those we have lost, for those we can yet save.”
Relationships: Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch & Azem, Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch & Hythlodaeus
Kudos: 2





	End of Days

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first post here. Anyway, as I browsed through my Twitter, a very talented person came up with a mini comic of their WoL as Azem, and ping, here’s my annotation of my WoL/Azem.

As the fire rained down from the heavens, I stood alone watching, waiting, praying this was all just a dream, a fleeting nightmare. It wasn't until I heard faint footsteps approaching. "Why are you here?" I hissed.

"I was looking for you,"

I huffed, knowing exactly why he, of all people, was here; to bring me back to a place I no longer can call home. "Why?"

"To...bring you home,"

"Home? You call this a home!?" I laughed. "You're the second person to approach me here."I turned to face the man, Emet-Selch, a person whom I respected not as a colleague but as a brother I never had. "I cannot call home of which the convocation does not care for its own people. You never rejected such an idea whereas the people followed blindly like lambs to slaughter!"

"There was no other way-"

"There's always another way, Hades! You never thought to ask me! You used Elidibus as a tool and for what, a god unseen!? I've traveled the world, I came to understand it more than anyone in the convocation! I was still the emissary before Elidibus was ready! Have you ever truly wondered why I saved that place from an erupting volcano?"

Hades gave me a sour look of disgust. "Cause of those grapes, what's that got to do with this?"

I shook my head. "Everything. I didn't save that place because of the grapes. I did it to save the people who made it their home, their livelyhood, their life. The land is more than grapes, it was their home. I couldn't stand by and watch all that they held dear to them get burned to nothing but ash. What would you have done in my stead!?"

Hades stood there, stunned by my words. He shamelessly turned his head. "I...didn't know that." He looked up moments later. "But what of Ifrita?"

"I had proved a point to Lahabrea. If Ifrita has enough fire-aspected aether, like from a volcano, it would have caused a much larger devastation if left to its own device." I told him bluntly. I thought surely he'd know my full reasons why I took Ifrita.

I turned my gaze away from him, turning my back to watch as the fire still burned below. "Did you know this small family below here?"

"What? Of course I didn't,"

"It was a small family. One parent raising his five children alone. The man lost his wife giving birth to his youngest, who wasn't even two years old yet. His eldest just reached sixteen. She was a bright and smart girl. She was the mother figure her brother's lost. She told them countless stories from her memories their mother had told during bedtime. But none shall be remembering today, for they were used in the sacrifice."

I turned back to Hades, who doesn't give me eye contact. "Did you even care about Elidibus? Did you know what was to become of him? He knew and yet he still went through it! He always knew, Hades! Is this the reason that was kept from me!?" I clenched on my chest, it hurts, it hurts knowing I was kept in the dark.

"The councils saw you were...," he clears his throat for a better word, not doubt. "Unstable with the truth."

Unstable? It hurts, it really hurts. I could feel my hand get cold by how tightly I clenched my fist. "Unstable!? Is that what you're going to use for me who cared more for Elidibus' well being!? At least I had a heart in this cruel unforgiving world of ours, which by your hands have broke! I'm tired of these killings. I will have no more." I could no longer hold back my true power. For years I concealed my true self and the power I held within. These innocents are dying for the convocation selfishness; to keep us, the undying ones, safe.

"I will not stand for this!" No more. "I cannot continue to watch this fire rage!" No more. "Enough is enough!" NO MORE!

"Azem! Calm yourself!" Hades called reaching out only to be pushed back with a wave of magic.

"I will not fail these people who are on hands and knees praying to gods unseen!"

"Alex! Cease this at once!" I could see his face clearer now. He was truly in desperate as he emotionally broke before me.

"There has been enough blood shed. I will not see another innocent taken. Prove to me, Emet-Selch, that I am wrong and the convocation knows best. Show me why I must follow the selfish beliefs."

Hades stood there, unmoving. "I-" no words could escape his lips, he bowed head head, unable to prove her wrong.

"As I thought. Do as you wish Emet, I will blanket this world with one final death, one who needs nothing else but a soul and death's amber embrace."

"No! You mustn't!" He shouted to her, though they never reached her. He dropped to his knees cursing the world as he slammed his fists to the dead ground below. "Damn it all! Damn it all!" Tears soaked his face as he rose hearing footsteps behind.

"I take it she wasn't coming back?" Hythlodaeus asked.

Hades huffed. "I cannot leave her to her fate. Zodiark, our final days, it was all a lie. Blind faith lead us to this road of nowhere!"

Hythlodaeus places his hand on Hades' shoulder. "Then why are you still here? Go get her and bring her back."

Hades chuckled as he took off. Hythlodaeus took his mask and hood off, as he turned to the sky, shedding a single tear. "My friend, hold out just a bit longer. I sent you a gift in your final hours. Until we meet again, Alex, fare thee well."

I watched as the first champion, my first bringer of light, began to flood the world in amber. I heard a voice travel from the stars above and couldn't help but smile. Even if briefly. Another sharp pain surged though every part of me as another shard of my soul had been pulled away.

Zodiark was now banished from the world and sealed in what is now the moon. Hydaelyn is now the new core of our broken world. She too was shattering as my own soul is part of her, to tame the primal within. To all of my children, whom life flows abundant. To all of my children to, whom death hath passed his judgement. Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after." I began the solum prayer, in hopes to save as many souls as possible.

Another spark of pain, cracking my soul further down to small fragments. Seven shattered shards have now left to create a new world on our home image. "Such as fates cruel design, so it falls to me to mend our broken home."

"You don't have to do it alone, my friend."

His voice seemed familiar, like a faded memory. "Oh right, how silly of me to forget. But did I not tell you I will fix our broken world, Hades?"

"At what cost!? You told me there was another way, but this is...breaking you apart." His voice cracked for a moment.

"It was the only other solution to this problem. If you and the other had waited before creating and summoning Zodiark, there was a different path we could have done, but now this-" I fell to my knees, as two more shards had broke away. Nine have made their new worlds now.

"Alex!" Hades rushed to my side, but I retreated from his grasp. I couldn't let him see me in this condition. 

I brushed his hands from my shoulder as I spoke, "I'm fine."

"You are not!" He protested. "Clearly you are shattering yourself, and for what?"

"For what? Are you trying to tell me I have no purpose in my current course of action?" I spat, downright infuriated with his words.

"Our world is broken, Azem, surely you must see there is no purpose in saving it."

I could feel my hands grow cold as the knuckles turned white clenching my fists tightly, I had to face him. I need to...to... But I couldn't. I fell back, only this time Hades caught me, realizing the full extent of my actions. "Alex, why? Why would you do this, to yourself...?"

"For those we have lost...for those we can...yet save. This is why our world needs saving." I said, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. "I knew the consequences of this spell, and I fully accepted the price. Please, Hades, promise me one thing..."

"Speak,"

"When you reunited with my soul, help me to remember. Though I may be shundered, the color of my soul won't change. Promise me that, okay?"

Hades hung his head for a moment then smiled. "Of course. Rest now, my friend. You've earned it."

I smiled, though somehow felt the emptiness of his words. Little did I know he would never keep to that promise.

He watched as her body fully crystallized in an amber glow, and shattered into piece. The wind catching the last remaining soul fragments to be born a new. Hades had now fully counted, fourteen shards. Thirteen for outside worlds and one that remained on their home world, now called the Source.

Out of all the Ancients, only Elidibus, Lahabrea and himself, Emet-Selch, were the only living souls unsundered. But he had seen a change in Elidibus, as though he was forgetting his friends and family and those they have lost. Could Azem truly been right all this time? Even after seven rejoinings, he still couldn’t find her soul’s amber color. Or is it that he’s forgotten her as well?

Hear my final prayer, feel my amber embrace, think of my final words of peace.

Hear my final words, feel my amber embrace, think of those we had lost.

Hear..., feel..., think...of those we can yet save.

Have they been forgotten? Am I lost? Please, please someone remember me...is this over? Forgive me, my love, I have truly lost everything, for I am just a weary wonderer, no fight left to fight, no life left to live.

Giving up so soon, old friend? I dare say you sure aren’t the type to lay defeated. Only you can save our brother from he descent to madness. 

Come and save us.

Catch us before we fall.

I, Azem, will not flatter in the face of despair. I shall rise and when I do, my brothers shall know peace once more. I will not let Zodiark break the world of which I created for my fallen brothers and sisters! I lend you my power, my strength, to you, my warrior of darkness, save Elidibus from his madness!

In the distance, Elidibus became the world’s first hero, to face off against the warrior of darkness in the final battle of the First shard. The invocation of Eld summoned them and their companions from the Void with a little help from an old friend, with their final attack, Elidibus shall now know peace. 

“At duty’s end, we will meet again, this I promise.”


End file.
